Rank History
Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | OAK | RHP | 19 | 40 |
Grades Update: Feb 2021
OFP | Role | FB | SL | Cnt/Cmd |
---|---|---|---|---|
40 | 40 | 60 | 55 | 45/40 |
Feb 2021 Report
Evaluator: James Chipman
Age: 27 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 202 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Medium frame; athletic build. Sloped shoulders; above-average upper body and core strength; long torso. Muscular thighs and thick backside. Above-average athleticism. Moves well off the mound. Minimal physical projection remaining.
Delivery & Mechanics: Stretch only; drop and drive operation. High 3/4 arm slot with above-average arm speed a moderate to high effort delivery. Modest deception from belt high leg kick and deep hand break; claws a bit behind the back during long arm path. Short strider with average extension. Struggles repeating delivery directly affect control and command; stiff landings with occasional head-whack.
Fastball: Big-time fastball with explosive velocity and life out of the hand; sits 95-97 scraping as high as 98 mph with above-average arm-side run. Locates it ok to both sides of the plate; swing and miss in the zone and when elevated out of the zone for strikeouts. FB has enough velo to get away with most misses in the zone. Routinely gets ahead, but definitely more control than true command or pitchabilty. Grade: 60
Slider: Slurvy power breaking ball w/ varied shapes; shows more like a true CB at times. Sits 84-88 with sharp action, two-plane depth and nasty late bite. More traditional SL shape with darting action in the upper velo band. Inconsistent but shows feel; has good shape and tight spin with above-average depth. Gets swing and miss with ability to locate just off plate to RHB or on the back-foot of LHB. Flashes plus but sits average; probably settles more consistently around above-average. Grade: 55
Control and Command: Spray command in or around the zone. Relies on FB velocity to bail out lack of command. Predictable sequencing, leans on heat early and often; mixes in SL when ahead hunting for strikeouts. Not afraid to throw multiple sliders in-a-row when he's looking for a punch out. Standard power reliever control over command profile. Control: 45 | Command: 40
Overall: Romero keeps two advanced pitches around the plate enough to challenge and likely punch out big league batters at a solid clip. Overall a current MLB ready relief piece with mound presence and high leverage upside. More realistically a low leverage role on a good team as he acclimates to big league hitters.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Low-Leverage Reliever
Risk: Moderate